Cimorelli Oneshots

Good Enough (A Dani Story)

<<-- -- --Is there any way I'll ever be good enough-- -- -->>

Ages: Christina, 21, Katherine, 20, Lisa, 18, Amy, 16, Lauren, 13, Dani, 11

"Hey, Dani?"

"Yes?" The young girl jerked her head up at the sound of her name. She smiled eagerly at her older sister, a sweet, hopeful sort of shine illuminating her face.

"Do us a favor and get out of the room, would'a? This place is only for the big dogs."

Lisa smiled down at the other girl, in a supposedly 'sympathetic' way. But it ended up quite patronizing, her face twisting into something distinctly unfriendly.

Dani shrank back in her chair, almost disappearing into the cushy flower-patterned pillows. She hugged her knees to her chest, a shallow breath catching in her throat.

Why? She wondered. Why?

She'd guessed the intentions of the older girl, yes, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It never did.

Dani swallowed, trying to dislodge the heavy lump in her throat. She tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair in an agitated manner, her eyes darting all around the room, landing on any possible place but the couch in the middle of the room. The one Lisa and Christina were lounging on.

"Well, are you leaving?" Christina wrinkled her nose in disgust as she saw a tear slip down the younger girl's cheek. "C'mon, get out. We don't need babies here. And that's what you are. A stinky little baby."

Dani swiped at her cheeks, flinging the hot tears away from her face.

"S-s-sorry," she managed to stammer.

"Ew! Don't get the fabric wet. It's worth more than you," Lisa smirked, chuckling at her own sick humor.

Dani nodded, trying to prevent another wave of tears, just waiting to spring to her eyes.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

"Get out, then," said Lisa, shooing the younger girl away. "Geez."

Dani mumbled a half-hearted apology, then turned around and fled the room. On her frantic flight down the hallway she crashed into yet another one of her sisters.

"Sorry," Dani muttered, for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Her face turned down toward the carpet. Tears threatened to well back up. "It was an accident."

"You should be. Look, you almost tore off one of my bracelets! Could you at least, like, try?"

Amy shot her younger sister a fierce glare, contempt clearly etched on the lines of her face. Dani shrunk under the frightful gaze.

"Sorry," she muttered once more.

"Whatever." Amy spun on her heel and flounced off, clearly done with the younger girl.

Dani let out a breath, a long and heavy sigh.

It was fine. She was used to it. Well... mostly.

She shook her head, digging her fingernails deep into the flesh of her palm. In truth, Dani wasn't over it. And she doubted that she ever would be.

But it was fine. It was fine. She was fine.

The girl aimed a kick at the wall, then ran down the hallway like a bullet, skidding to a halt right in front of the bedroom door. She leapt into her room and slammed the door with such force that may have shaken the very foundation of the earth.